Long Lost
by Esmeralda Ride
Summary: Fang is back, but will he leave again after he finds someone from his past? Better summary inside
1. Chapter 1

**I love having weird dreams that lead to a story. This should be pretty decent, I think. Review please?**

Esmeralda Anderson wasn't your normal 17 year old girl. She wasn't popular. She didn't spend her time shopping, or wear excessive amounts of make up. She didn't grow up playing with baby dolls. Esmeralda was tough. She'd been holding down jobs since she was 14, and she was a hard worker. She didn't take peoples crap; she spoke her mind when she needed to. She only had two friends. Two friends who only knew bits and pieces about her life. She was good at hiding things, and she _always_ used that to her advantage. Her Mom worked a lot, and her dad... Well, let's just say he wasn't always with it.

You might be wondering what this Esmeralda girl has to do with Max and the gang, and that's a good question. I guess you'll just have to keep reading to find out, won't you? But don't worry; I'll be here to walk you though everything. Who better to tell the story than me? Esmeralda.

** So.. This is just a little intro to the story. Let me know if you'd like some more! **


	2. First Sight

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Maximum Ride or any other characters from the incredible novels written by James Patterson. As much as I wish I did...**

** Iggy: She's kind of obsessed..**

** Me: Just be quiet so I can tell the story, Iggy!**

** Iggy: Fine. *Looks away***

** Me: Baby.**

"I'm not going, Max. End of story." Fang said roughly, slamming the door behind him.

"Ugh," Max laid her head down on the table. "Stupid, stubborn butt head!" she mumbled.

"What did I ever do to you?" Iggy asked from behind her.

"Not you," she said looking up at him.

"He's not going to go if he doesn't want to go, Max. You know that."

"But I _know_ he wants to find her!" She told him as he opened the fridge.

"So? Just leave him alone. He'll go when he's ready," he said grabbing a Coke and shutting the door.

"You are absolutely no help, Iggy."

"Good to know I was right, I'm going to out back and work on my sight."

"Have fun," she said dryly as he turned away from her.. She groaned. Now she was being a jerk to Iggy because she was pissed at Fang.

"Ig?"

"Yeah?" He asked, pausing by the door.

"I'm sorry. It's still getting better, right?"

"Yeah, Max. It is. I'm able to see for longer periods of time now."

She smiled. It was amazing to know he was getting his sight back somewhat. "That's great."

He turned towards her again and walked over to the table. He gave her a one-armed hug before straightening up. "Don't worry. He'll come around to it."

"Thank you, Ig. Call me if you need me, OK?"

"No. You call me if you need me. I've got things here. Go and find him." Max smiled as she stood up next to him. She gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Great. Now I have Max cooties!"

"Butt head," she told him, smiling softly.

She walked out the back door and headed for the woods.

"Fang?" she called as she got farther into the trees. "I know you're here!"

When there was no answer she tried again. "Please talk to me, Fang."

"I'm here," he said a minute later from behind her.

She turned around and sure enough, he was leaning against a tree watching her. She watched him for a moment before walking over to him, stopping about a foot away.

"I shouldn't push you so much."

"It's what you do," he said with a shrug.

"I know," she muttered.

He chuckled and held out his hand; she smiled and took it.

"You're right," he said, pulling her down to sit with him. "I need to find her."

"When you're ready."

"No. I need to find her soon."

"But..?"

"I don't know. It's not like I'm really her brother- their son. I'm not a kid coming home after running off with his friends for a week. I'm not telling them that I flunked school, or that I got my girlfriend pregnant. They probably think I'm long gone. I was taken as a baby. I'm not their family. Not really."

"Yes, you are, Fang. That doesn't matter. Mom-" she paused closing her eyes. "Mom didn't have to help me and she did. It didn't matter that she didn't raise me. She loved me."

"Max- I'm sorry," he put his arm around her.

She shook her head. They still hadn't found her Mom or Ella yet. And not for lack of trying. She spent almost every moment trying to find them.

"What do you know about them?" he asked a few minutes later. She looked up, a ghost of a smile on her face.

"Where to find them."

**Meanwhile in Illinois**

Esmeralda slammed the door shut behind her and jogged to her car. "First day back and I'm gonna be late. Damn it." She jumped in her truck and drove the eight blocks to her high school. She ran from the parking lot, taking all the short cuts she knew, and into the school. She was lucky her first hour was on the main floor. She made it through the door just as the bell rang.

"Old habits die hard, Esmeralda?" Her teacher Mrs. Johnson asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

She shrugged. "Alarm clock didn't go off."

"Let's not have a repeat of last year. Alright?"

"OK."

"Why were you really late?" her friend, Colby, asked from the seat behind her.

"Alarm clock," she muttered as Mrs. Johnson turned on her overhead.

First hour ended soon enough and she quickly realized how lucky she was that it was the first day of school. Not only was it a half day, but the only the only thing they did in class was discuss the same rules as they had her first three years here. Four hours later the final bell rang and she walked from the school to the parking lot. The traffic coming from the school was ridiculous as usual and it took twenty-five minutes to drive ten minutes away, to her house.

Pulling into the driveway she noticed her parents car was still gone. Oh, well. It looked like dinner alone again.

She made her way through the back yard, and was on the porch when she heard a rustling behind her. She turned around and saw a man- a boy- walking towards her. Behind him was a girl walking out from behind her garage.

"Who are you?" Esmeralda asked crossing her arms across her chest and staring the boy in the eyes.

He looked behind him at the girl.

"He's your brother," she said quietly.


	3. The Truth

** I must say, I'm kind of disappointed. A lot of people have read these first two chapters, but no one reviewed! =( Well, all I can do is ask again.. Review? Please?**

** Iggy: She's such a baby when people don't review.. **

** Fang: Stop calling my sister a baby, Iggy. **

** Me: Stop talking about me like I'm not here!**

** Iggy: Sorry...**

** Fang: Stop whining, Es.**

** Me: I am _not_ whining!**

**Esmeralda P.O.V.**

The boy turned back around and his eyes locked with mine. A tremor went through my body and it felt like I'd been shocked.

_He has my eyes..._ I thought a moment before I realized there was no way this was true. _I would know.._

But somehow I couldn't shake the feeling that I knew him. There was something there.

"That's impossible," I finally said, shaking my head.

"No it's not," the girl said, closing the distance between the boy and her.

"I'm an only child," I told them coldly. "And I don't know what kind of scam you're trying to pull here, but if it's money you're after, then you're out of luck."

I turned away from them, and stuck my key in the door. "I suggest you get out of my yard before I call the cops."

"Please.. Wait.." I stopped cold. His voice tore at me. My heart tugged and I turned around slowly. "It's not a lie.. I'm.. Your brother. Your twin."

"Why don't I know about you then?" I asked disbelieving.

"I was taken when we were born.."

"And when was that?" If this was true he would know.

"I was hoping you could tell me. I assume I'm about 16 or 17, but I don't know..."

"What do you mean? You don't know how old you are?"

"We can't talk out here. It's dangerous."

And maybe I was stupid and naive, but I nodded.

"Come in," I said turning around and opening the door. They walked into the house slowly, and I noticed that the boy was walking in front of her protectively.

"So.. How old are we?" he asked as I led them into the kitchen. I sat down on the counter and motioned to the stools.

"I'm 17. Almost 18. Was born in '94."

He looked at the girl next him. "I'm older than you are, Max.." He said with a smile smile playing on his lips.

"Your name is Max?"

"Yes," she said glancing back at the boy.

"I'm Fang."

"Fang?"

"Yeah." I just watched him. Ever second that he sat in front of me I felt an intense bond forming with him.

"Esmeralda? Do you know where your parents keep your birth certificate?"

"I never told you my name," I said quickly.

"We knew your name. How do you think we found you?"

I clamped my mouth shut. Of course they knew my name.

"I'll go get it."

I left them in the kitchen and walked through the front room to my parents room. I moved quickly grabbing the old shoe box out of the closet and then walking back to the kitchen.

"Do you want something to drink?" I asked randomly. I felt like things were going to change if I opened this box. They both shook their heads so I pulled another stool up and sat down across from them. I opened the box and took off the layer of tissue paper that my mom kept over my baby pictures.

"There isn't anything to find in here."

"When's the last time you've looked at this stuff?" Max asked me as I pulled out pictures.

"When I got my license. My mom brought it to me so I could get my birth certificate."

I pulled out pictures of me as a baby. In the hospital when I was born, my first trip to church, my baptism, preschool. Almost every picture of me was in the box. And there at the bottom was my birth certificate. I handed it to them.

"That's all that's here."

He took the paper from me and stared at it. I knew what he was seeing.

"Esmeralda Roselyn Mitchell

Weight: 7 Lbs 9 OZ.

Height: 19 IN.

Date and Time of Birth: January 17, 1994 10 A.M."

And then my parents names: Lily Marie Mitchell and Jason Alexander Mitchell.

"I told you, there's nothing on there," I said.

"Can I see the box?" Max asked me placing my pictures on the counter. I shrugged, handing it over to her and then picking up the first picture in the pile. It was me and my parents the day I was born in the hospital. I didn't remember ever seeing this one before. There were tears in both of my parents eyes, and they were looking at something that wasn't in the picture.

"What is this?" Max asked suddenly. I looked up at her at the same time Fang did. She was holding up a brown piece of paper.

"Where did you get that?" I asked, my voice a bit shaky.

"She pulled it out of the box," Fang said quietly.

"Give me the box," I demanded.

She passed it over the counter along with the paper. I looked at the paper; it was the same color as the inside of the show box. _How did I never notice that?_ I wondered.

I looked inside the box again and slowly stuck my hand back in. I pulled out a white envelope.

"What is it," he asked, a slight tremor in his voice.

"I.." I started but broke off as I opened it. There were two things in it. I took them out. There was a picture and a folded up paper. I unfolded the paper.

"What does it say?" he asked with conviction.

"Nicholas Nathaniel Mitchell. Weight 8 LB 12 Oz, height 20 inches long, born January 17, 1994 at 8:59 A.M. Parents... Lily Marie Mitchell and Jason Alexander Mitchell..." I looked at the picture and saw my parents again. Both my mom and dad were holding a baby.

Fang dropped my birth certificate and reached out for the picture. I handed it to him. "That's.. me..?"

Max took his hand in hers and looked at her for a second before meeting my eyes.

"It's true.." I whispered. "I have a brother.."


End file.
